Davies Center voter turnout increases
25 percent more votes cast at on-campus polling place than in 2000
Alison Pellymounter and Sam Kramer
Issue date: 11/4/04 Section: Campus News
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Though the increased turnout led to a Bush victory, at UW-Eau Claire, Sen. John Kerry was the beneficiary of increased participation. At Davies Center, for example, Kerry took nearly 61 percent of the vote. Support for Democratic candidates was the story at precincts where students voted.
For senior Stephanie LeBlanc, there was never a question of whether or not she would vote in Tuesday's presidential election.
"I wanted (Sen. John) Kerry .... I voted for him in the primaries and wanted him the whole time," LeBlanc said.
But the importance of her vote became elevated after receiving news Monday that her brother, a U.S. Marine, will be deployed to Iraq. She said she watched results come in until 2 a.m. Wednesday waiting for Kerry to pull ahead while thinking about her brother, Christopher.
"I know Bush wants to keep everyone (in Iraq), and make sure that Iraq's government is stable," LeBlanc said. "I don't understand why we have to be there ... I just don't want our people being killed over their government," LeBlanc said, adding that her reasoning was personal. "I don't want my brother going over there."
While students voted for a variety of reasons Tuesday, one fact was clear: They voted.
The line in Davies Center stretched around the building on Election Day as some students and community members waited for more than two hours to cast their ballots.
According to preliminary election results for Eau Claire County, 2,784 ballots were cast in Davies Center on Tuesday. The turnout was an increase of 25 percent from the 2000 turnout of 2,227 voters.
This increased turnout was a clear reflection of a renewed interest in the electoral process amongst students.
After voting, students gathered around their television sets to see the outcome of the election, and the effect their votes would play.